Image stabilized binoculars are great in theory. Who wouldn’t want a perfectly smooth view of a subject that is hundreds of yards away, an on-board gyro sensor ably compensating for any slight tremor in the observer’s hands? Or, want to get a steady view of wild beasts from the safety of our Land Rover on safari as it bumps along a dirt track? Again, a flat and level view will allow us to better identify distinguishing details from afar, making IS equipped binoculars a boon for wildlife watchers, sports fanatics, astronomy geeks and more.
While that’s all great on paper, in reality there are a few downsides to image stabilized binos. First off, because of the on-board electronics, they cost more than standard non-IS binoculars that offer a similar magnification and objective lens size. And because of the need to house both these electronics and the battery, or batteries plural, image stabilized binoculars are typically bulkier and weightier than their strictly analogue competitors. Also, it’s rare to find a completely weather or water proofed IS binocular, and when we do, we can expect an even higher asking price for the privilege - such as with the Canon 10x42L IS WP.
